The oldest Ukrainian film festival Molodist, or Youth, opened for the 41st time on Oct. 22 in Kyivska Rus cinema. With dozens of films on the program, this year’s cinematic spotlight is on Poland due to its presidency in the European Union. “Battle of Warsaw 1920” by Polish director Jerzy Hoffman opened the festival.
“If Molodist is still young in its 41, then I am very, very young,” said 79-year-old Hoffman. Wearing modest black-rimmed glasses and the same color beret, which he didn’t take off even on stage, Hoffman was the only international celebrity at this year’s opening.
His latest movie “Battle of Warsaw 1920,” an epic drama about the history-changing victory of Polish troops over the Red Army, which stopped the Bolsheviks’ march across Europe, is Poland’s first picture in 3D. To commemorate the debut, many speakers put on 3D glasses while delivering their greeting speeches onstage.
“Battle of Warsaw 1920” has it all: a love story, bloody war scenes and episodes with historical figures of Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin and Jozef Pilsudski, Poland’s chief of state and later a president. It premiered in Poland in September and was also screened in London and Chicago. It is not clear yet if Hoffman’s movie will be available in Kyiv cinemas, as Ukrainian distributors didn’t buy their copies yet.
Kyiv though was mentioned in the movie. Ukrainian troops helped the Polish Army to fight Bolsheviks after Poland’s Pilsudski made an agreement with Ukrainian leader Symon Petlyura and helped him to oust the Red Army from Kyiv. The Ukrainian People’s Republic existed for almost three short, but independent years, from 1917 till 1920. Then it was dissolved by the USSR again. During this short period, Kyiv was taken 18 times by different troops.
It is a separate story how Ukraine – sorry for saying this – wasted its opportunity for independence” Hoffman said.
Critics said that the 115-minute movie reminds of a long fairy tale for children where good and bad characters are easily distinguished and historical controversies cleared from the picture.
“I was trying to make a movie, which would be watchable. I am not interested in empty cinema halls,” said Hoffman to rebuff criticism. A recognized Polish director of Jewish origin, he graduated from Moscow State Cinematography and earned his fame filming historical dramas.
In 1999, Hoffman shot “With Fire and Sword,” a story about the 1648 Ukrainian-Polish war. In 2008, he finished four episodes of TV series about Ukrainian history “Ukraine – The Birth of a Nation.”
“When we take over Kyiv, we will give it to Ukrainians,” shouted Polish leader Pidluski in “Battle of Warsaw,” but viewers in Kyiv Rus Cinema found it hard to believe. There are no scenes from the Ukrainian capital though.
“If I wanted to show the truth, including how Kyiv from that period looked like, do you know how much it would cost?” Hoffman explained. “Secondly, I don’t know whether Ukrainians would be proud of that. When Polish troops were entering [Kyiv], people did not care at all, because they were so tired. It is a separate story how Ukraine – sorry for saying this – wasted its opportunity for independence.”
A trailer for Jerzy Hoffman’s Battle of Warsaw 1920
Kyiv Post staff writer Oksana Faryna can be reached at [email protected].
